1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new and improved turbine diaphragm assembly and method of construction thereof, and to a new and improved nozzle block and method of construction thereof for use in said diaphragm assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Although a wide variety of turbine diaphragm assemblies, and nozzle blocks, and respective methods of construction thereof, are, of course, well known in the prior art, it may be understood that the same will, in many instances, be found to be unduly complicated in requiring the performance of large numbers of relatively complex, time-consuming and costly manufacturing steps, in the nature of precise and difficult machining, with resultant unduly high diaphragm assembly and nozzle block cost. Too, it is believed well known by those skilled in this art that the performance offered by many of the diaphragm assemblies of the prior art is in essence a compromise in that the same are not effective to direct the motive fluid to the adjacent rotor stage at optimum entrance angles throughout the entire radial extent of the included diaphragm nozzle blades with resultant decrease in overall turbine efficiency, and this shortcoming may be understood to be particularly prevalent in those instances wherein extruded nozzle blades are utilized due to well known motive fluid directing performance limitations of the latter.